On Saturday’s print edition, AS (via Sport Witness) claimed that West Ham United have made an offer for Girona forward Artem Dovbyk this summer. It has been mentioned that the Hammers have launched a move north of €35m for the Ukraine international this off-season.
Dovbyk’s Impressive Form In Spanish Football
The 27-year-old put in a series of impressive displays as the spearhead of Girona’s attack in the previous campaign. Dovbyk played in 41 matches for the Spanish outfit last season, scoring 25 times and picking up ten assists across all competitions.
The Ukrainian sensation gave a good account of himself in the final third based on his average of 2.4 shots, 0.8 key passes and 0.5 dribbles per 90 minutes in La Liga. However, he lacked quality when distributing the ball in the opponent’s half after making 71.8% of his attempted passes in the Spanish top tier (stats via whoscored).
His current contract at the Spanish club will run out in the summer of 2028 which could make it difficult for the Hammers to sign him on a cut-price deal later this year.
Is Dovbyk A Decent Fit For West Ham United Boss Julen Lopetegui?
Dovbyk excels at finding some space for himself to get a few strikes in at goal. He has got the vision to engineer a few decent chances for others around him in the final third and is a good dribbler with the ball at his feet.
However, the Ukraine international has to find a way to improve his link-up play in front of the opponent’s goal. He is also unproven at the highest level and would need time to adjust to life in Premier League football.
We can expect Dovbyk to add more firepower to West Ham‘s attacker. He is good enough to fight for a regular starting spot at the London Stadium in the coming seasons. However, there are some concerns over whether he would be able to cope with the physical side and high intensity of Premier League football.
At 27, Dovbyk is about to enter his prime which makes him a good fit for West Ham boss Julen Lopetegui’s needs this summer. Hence, the Hammers would be wise to go all out to bring him on board soon.
